the lighting in my house
always glows orange at night
maybe it’s the ghosts
of the Goldfish I snuck
from the pantry; I was nine

tiptoeing through the narrow hall
eyes adjusting to the fuzzy darkness
the wooden cabinets creak
as my hand slips in
groping for the prized bag
running my slender fingers along
the curves of every miniscule fish
before shoving each one into my watering mouth

I always did like to eat the tails first
but no one was awake; I wouldn’t dare
chomp down on the innocent crackers that night

I hope you enjoyed this short one! It’s actually super old– maybe almost two years? I always come back to it and laugh… there’s something childish yet sinister about the imagery. It really shifts depending on how you want to look at it. Please feel free to leave feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke